Saturday, August 06, 2005

Fun for the whole family: "Ordinary People"

This is one of those classics I hadn't seen, probably because it never gets heavy rotation on cable -- Here's a light, feel-good movie to pass the time! -- and because I've never found myself thinking, "Hmmmm, what am I in the mood for? I know ... family dysfunction following a tragedy! I'll get the popcorn!"

Impressive alone for being Robert Redford's directorial debut, "Ordinary People" follows a well-to-do suburban Chicago family after one son has died in an accident and the other tried to kill himself. The movie starts midstream -- after both of these terrible events have happened -- and it's not overstating to say the tension clobbers you right from the outset. It's like walking into a family's home right after everyone just had a big fight and is trying not to show it to their guests. Awkward? Just a bit.

All three of the leads deliver solid performances, giving the appropriate heft and depth to their respective roles. Donald Sutherland ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") plays the dad futilely trying to keep everyone happy during their collective recovery, a job so easy that he hits the bottle hard at parties. Mary Tyler Moore ("Keys to Tulsa") is the mom who isn't so much distant as just closed off, and who so favored her dead son that she can't relate to the one she has left. Her polished, icy facade is pretty stunning considering she was America's sweetheart for so many years at TV. (And yeah, I thought she was kind of hot on "The Dick Van Dyke Show." There, I said it.)

Then we have Timothy Hutton ("Turk 182"), who played the tormented son and won an Oscar at the tender age of 20 for his trouble. "Ordinary People" was his first big role, and his hollow-eyed, twitchy teen recovering from a suicide attempt really is solid. This kid looks so lost he should have a note pinned to his sleeve at all times.

Everyone's favorite cabbie, Judd Hirsch, shows up as Hutton's shrink, and he's pretty good, too. (Even though IMDB reports he was second choice after Gene Hackman.) But this is mostly Hutton's show, and sort of conjures the question of where you go after winning an Oscar at 20.

I mean, this is a tough act to follow, and Hutton himself might admit it's been downhill -- gradually, but still downhill -- from there. When he's played a lead, i.e. "The Dark Half" or "Q&A," the movie hasn't burned up the box office. Throw him into an ensemble or as a supporting role, i.e. "Beautiful Girls" or "Kinsey," and he fares a little better. Still, I don't think the little golden dude on his mantel should expect company anytime soon.

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